Carrying A Cross – Spiritual Story by Paulo Coelho
In a certain village in Umbria (Italy), there lived a man who was always bewailing his lot. He was a Christian, and found the weight of his cross too heavy to bear.
One night, before going to sleep, he begged God to let him change his burden.
That night he had a dream; the Lord led him to a warehouse. Go ahead and change it, he said. The man saw crosses of all sizes and shapes, with the names of their owners. He picked an average size cross — but when he saw the name of an old friend written on it, he left it aside.
Finally, as God had permitted, he chose the smallest cross he could find.
To his surprise, he saw his own name written on it.
Paulo Coelho is a Brazilian author who has sold more than 100 million books, which include 14 short story collections and the novel “The Alchemist.”
If you liked this story, you'll love this! We've compiled a list of the top 10 spiritual stories that our readers love. You can read them here.
What Is the Spiritual Moral and Message of the “Carrying a Cross” Story?
At its heart lies an allegory, a poignant narrative speaking volumes about the burdens we carry—the crosses we bear in our existence. It paints a portrait of a soul disenchanted with his own path, seeking to exchange his perceived heavy burden for a lighter one.
In our quest for relief, we often seek to exchange our burdens, yearning for lighter loads, believing others carry an easier yoke. Yet, the divine narrative whispers otherwise. The smallest cross, bearing our name, speaks volumes about the significance of our own journey.
This allegory transcends the physicality of burdens; it delves into the profundity of our perception. The smallest cross, etched with our name, encapsulates the truth that our journey, our challenges, and our burdens are uniquely tailored to our growth, our evolution, and our awakening.
Through this spiritual lens, the tale becomes a mirror—a reflection of our own lives. It beckons us to reframe our perception, to embrace our challenges not as unbearable weights but as sacred tools for our evolution. It invites us to recognize that what we perceive as the smallest burden may hold the greatest lessons, the deepest revelations, and the most profound transformation.
In this revelation lies a spiritual mandate—to accept, to embrace, and to find the divine purpose within the burden we carry. It's a call to honor our journey, to trust that the challenges etched with our name are precisely what we need for our growth and spiritual evolution.
May this allegory be a guiding light—an invitation to perceive our burdens not as hindrances but as sacred opportunities for transcendence. For in embracing our unique cross, we unveil the divine wisdom woven within the threads of our existence, honoring the sacred journey that bears our name.